NOVA8 Ventures is actively seeking great startups and early-stage companies to fund during Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A rounds.
We primarily invest in high growth companies in the following sectors: artificial intelligence (AI), healthcare technology (healthtech), cybersecurity, fiber/wireless telecommunications, robotics, and enterprise software.
MORE THAN INVESTMENT CAPITAL
Business Plan Feedback
Help revise and edit entrepreneur's business plan to increase probability of success.
Roadmap Planning
Assist in creating a short and long-term roadmap for the business including targets and milestones to measure progress.
Professional Networking
Connect as necessary to people, groups, and additional resources.
Management Meetings
Regularly scheduled meetings with key management to discuss progress and ongoing strategy.
Sounding Board
Provide entrepreneurs opportunities to bounce ideas around informally and even vent on occasion to reduce stress and refocus.
Financial Guidance
Provide add-on capital and work closely through any mergers, acquisitions, fundraising, recapitalization, or exit opportunities.
THE PEOPLE FACTOR
People with business ideas are everywhere, but an entrepreneur’s ability to successfully execute a plan is everything. Consequently, NOVA8 Ventures not only looks for opportunities that show promise to scale quickly but those that are run by intelligent, super driven and multi-talented entrepreneurs who excel at leading people, executing, and effectively interacting with a wide variety of people and personalities. An entrepreneur’s proven history being able to close deals is a huge plus especially during the early stages of a company.
Model & Valuation
Companies with post-money valuations less than $10MM having high-margin and scalable recurring revenue models in sectors with strong EBIDTA multiples.
Company Location
Located in the continental United States and preferably located in the Great Plains or Great Lakes regions, with a preference to companies located in the Kansas City area.
Management Team
Entrepreneurs with relevant industry expertise and professional network that are open to suggestions and willing to adapt and change.
Investment Horizon
Possess a clear exit strategy with a path to a favorable recapitalization process or full liquidity event within 5 - 7 years of the investment.
Current & Former
Portfolio Companies
Executive Leadership
Darren Bonawitz, Chief Executive Officer
Darren has nearly three decades of experience in information technology, telecommunications, and data centers. He previously was co-owner and CEO of 1102 GRAND (now Netrality Properties) where he guided the company from early stage to a successful exit.
Darren has served as a board member and technology advisor for multiple startups and governmental agencies. He has sat on various speaking panels with other regional thought leaders including former Mayor Sly James (Kansas City, MO) and former Kansas City, Kansas Mayor Joe Reardon, and Darren was invited by former Missouri Governor Jay Nixon’s office to provide feedback on Gov. Nixon’s proposed State Economic Development Plan. He has also been interviewed on television, radio, podcasts, and quoted or featured in a wide range of print publications including The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, and The Kansas City Business Journal.
Emily Lomaka, Chief Operating Officer
Emily is responsible for overseeing all day-to-day operations of NOVA8 Ventures, including serving as the point person supporting portfolio companies. With more than 25 years of experience in the telecommunications, engineering and construction industries, she possesses a broad range of managerial, operational, and leadership experience with departments such as project management, compliance, accounting, and marketing. Her diverse range of talents and insight into different business units allows Emily to not only consider business decisions individually but from a more broad business system perspective.
Emily prides herself on being a good listener first and a creative problem solver second because she likes to hear input from team members and analyze all of the data to ensure carefully thought out decisions are being made. This is especially true when working with entrepreneurs to understand their business challenges and recommending overall strategic direction or helping to develop processes and procedures necessary for a business to operate efficiently and scale quickly. In addition, professional partners and entrepreneurs alike regularly comment on her impressive attention to detail and overall pragmatic nature.
Let's build something amazing together
To be considered for funding, please send a concise four to six page executive summary or investor deck to Invest@NOVA8.com. While executive summaries or decks are fine for the initial review, a complete business plan is required if we express interest in evaluating the opportunity further. Every business plan will be reviewed, but due to the volume of plans and materials, we may take up to two weeks to get back to you.
Submission of any materials including a business plan does not create any obligation on the part of either party unless and until definitive agreements are negotiated and signed by both parties. You should only include non-confidential information in your submission, and by submitting information you are deemed to consent to non-confidential treatment of such information. In appropriate circumstances, we will sign a reasonable non-disclosure agreement when we reach a point of mutual interest in moving forward.